Target partners with Shipt for delivery in Worcester area next month

Just over three months after acquiring grocery delivery service Instacart rival Shipt for $550 million, Target announced Tuesday it will begin offering online grocery delivery to New England homes next month, including in the Worcester area.

Grocery delivery begins in several metro areas April 10, including Worcester, Springfield, Fall River, New Bedford and others in New Hampshire and Rhode Island.

Target stores in Boston, the North Shore and South Shore begin will begin the service on April 12.

Now, 2.6 million households in New England will have access to Target products via Shipt, according to the announcement.

Target, headquartered in Minnesota, began a relationship with Instacart - which just recently has grown its presence in Central Massachusetts at several retail stores - in 2015, but that relationship effectively ended in December when Target acquired Alabama-based Shipt for $550 million.

Much like San Francisco-based Instacart, Shipt is accessed via its website or a smartphone app where shoppers can select items at the store and a Shipt employee will go to the store and bring those items to the shopper.

Between now and April 10, Shipt plans to add more than 1,100 shoppers across New England. Target plans to offer the service via Shipt to the majority of its stores by the holiday season. By the end of 2018, Shipt should be delivering groceries and other goods to Target shoppers in about 180 markets.

Target Executive Vice President and COO John Mulligan said same-day delivery has been at the top of the chain's list to make shopping at Target easier.

"Shipt's personalized, customer-focused approach fits perfectly with our commitment to deliver a convenient, exceptional experience and we're excited to begin offering same-day service across New England," he said.